Lantern-bail.



G. E. NORTON- LANTERN BAIL.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.24,1908.

91 7, 1 1'2. Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

UNIED CLARENCE E. NORTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN T. BERGMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Application filed February 24, 1908.

useful Improvement in Lanterndfiails, (Case.

1,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, relerence being had to the accompanying drawings,

' forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to lanterns, particularly to signaling lanterns used in railway work, and contemplates an improved form of handle therefor.

Lanterns as at present built usually have a wire handle ordinarily in the form of a plain piece of wire bent into elliptical form and provided at its ends with hooks for engaging eyes on the lantern frame. 'I'hese handles are entirely smooth and make it very difficult to handle the lantern for signaling purposes with any degree of certainty, particularly when the holder is wearing heavy gloves. In signaling work, the lanterns must be held quiet in a horizon tal position, and if the wire handle should slip the signals would not be reliable.

In accordance with my invention, I bend the wire of the handle at the top thereof into a form which will give a better grip, and the preferable arrangement is to bend a double reverse loop, or a double S-shaped loop in the wire, which loops are connected together at the first bend so that the main part of the handle is still in elliptical form with the loop portion forming the grip.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a full View of a lantern, showing the wire handle bent to form the grip, and Fig. 2 shows the upper part of the handle, the grip being of modilied form.

The lantern is of the well known form used for signaling purposes by railroad companies. 'Ihewire protecting or guard frame 1 surrounds the globe 2, and provides eyes 3 and 4 for receiving the hooked ends and 6 of the handle or bail 7, formed of wire. [is usually constructed, these wire handles are merely elliptical loops of wire and are perfectly smooth, thus making it very difficult to use the lantern for signaling purposes, particularly when the signal man wears heavy gloves and the lantern is to be held in inclined or horizontal position, signaling under these conditions being apt to be very uncer- Specification of Letters Patent.

- tain and unreliable.

Patented April 6, 1909.

Serial No. 417,264.

I, however, bend the wire of the handle in such manner that a better grip is provided. The handle is still formed of a single piece of wire, and as shown in Fig. 1, two reverse or S-shaped loops 8 and 9 are formed in the middle of the handle, the first bends 10 and 11 of the loops being secured together as by a clip 12, or by being soldered. These loops, or double loops, obviate the smoothness of the handle, and form a good grip. The signal man can exert more pressure on the wider grip than he can on the smooth wire, and the ends 13 and 141 of the loops also form stops for the signalanans fingers, so that he is enabled to hold the lantern steadily and with. ease in angular or horizontal position, and he can also swing the lantern with greater certainty and ease in accordance with the signaling code.

In Fig. 1, the lower section 15 of the loops is bent upwardly into contact with the first bends, but in Fig. 2 this section 15 is removed sufliciently from the first bends so that if desired the signal-man can insert his fingers through the opening 16. Neither form will interfere with the carriage of the lantern in various ways by signal-men or brakernen, as by sliding the handle over an arm, collectors or conductors when passing through a train, sometimes slipping their arm through the lantern bail and resting the lantern on their forearm.

The wire of the handle may be bent in shapes dilferent from those shown, but it is preferable to so bend the wire that all the loops will lie in a common plane, this form being better adapted for lanterns, as it prevents twisting or rotation of the handle and lantern when held at an angle. If the turns, for instance, were round, it would be more difiicult to prevent such rotation of the lantern.

I desire to secure the following claims by Letters Patent:

1. In a lantern, a handle formed of wire, the wire at the top of the handle being bent back and forth to form a plurality of substantially parallel sections lying closely toether to form a fiattened-section ri whereby handle is prevented from turning in the hand.

2. In a lantern, a handle formed of a single piece of wire, the wire at the top of the handle being bent into superimposed loops to form a plurality of substantially parallel 1 gether to form a grip whereby the handle is 16 adjacent sections lying in the same plane prevented from turning in the hand. with the handle to form a grip therefor, In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe whereby the handle is prevented from turn my name this 21st day of February, A. D. ing in the hand. 1908.

3. A handle for a lantern formed of a sin- 7 CLARENCE E. NORTON. gle piece of wire, the wire at the top of the Witnesses: handle being bent to form two reverse loops CHARLES J. SCHMIDT, having their looped end-section close to- GEORGE E. HIGHAM. 

